Like Mother, Like Daughter (But In A Good Way)

Three different takes on the mother-daughter relationship in three novellas - each touching and well-written. Born in my Heart, about a mother with an adopted daughter who seeks out her birth mother, is a beautifully written story that proves love, not blood makes a family. Becoming My Mother will carry you away to Paris as you watch an estranged mother and daughter mend their relationship through understanding and love. The Long Distance Mother deals with the heartbreak of dementia and a daughter discovering who she really is and why her mother wasn't around when she was growing up.

"Born in My Heart" by Jennifer Greene. In Michigan Ann is hurt when her adopted teenage daughter Lisa locates and wants to meet her birth mother; she is despondent when Lisa afterward wants to continue to see her birth mom. "Becoming My Mother, and Other Things I Learned from Jane Austen" by Nancy Robards. Her mom was always a rebel without a cause embarrassing Esmeralda. In turn Esmeralda holds her feelings inside in a sort of reaction formation to her mom's live life to the fullest out in the open. In Paris, mom surprises Esmeralda on her birthday with a plan to loosen her straight-laced daughter up so that can both enjoy the city. "The Long Distance Mother" by Peggy Webb. Sara's mom suffers from Alzheimer's and needs personal care. Sara, whose mom was never home when she was growing up, begins to learn just who her mother is and was as they share what they did not when she was the child. This mother-daughter relationship anthology contains one longer novella (Jennifer Greene), a medium size novella (Nancy Robards) and a short novella (Peggy Webb), which impacts the character development. The hurt and betrayal felt by Ann is fully developed from scrambled eggs to a heart pendant while the other two contributions contains well written tales, the females are not as fully developed as Anna and Lisa are. Still fans will enjoy this fine overall salute to Mother's Day. Harriet Klausner